Last weekend, I kept getting texts saying that I was running low on credit. I thought I bought more and re-charged my account with 10 euros worth of credit. But after spending the last hour trying to navigate through my account information on orange.fr's website, I finally realized that I bought the credit (from a very rude Parisian if I may add), but I did not correctly add it to my account. Lesson learned: don't throw out the receipt until you've confirmed the credit.
I also spent far too long trying to figure out where the credit was for my "data plan". I even tried googling it, but I was writing my question in English when the answer was going to be in French. That makes searches less efficient. I did manage to find my usage information under the details for "voir le detail de derniere communications". It became crystal clear.
You put credit on your account - which you can buy from Orange stores, supermarkets, and tabacs. Each time you make a text, you are charged 0.05 euros from your credit. When I you use the internet you are charged 0.15 euros for 1 unit (not sure what this unit is though). When you run out of credits, you add more. Additionally, when you buy your credits you can buy some that expire in a day, a week, 2 months etc...
From my internet research, I also learned of this plan called Internet Max. For 9 euros, you can have unlimited data use for a month. You subscribe by doing to following (info taken from here, but I updated the instructions)
- Dial #123#
- You get a startup menu showing the credit on your prepaid account. You need enough credit on your account to buy the data plan.
- Choose 1=Menu
- Choose 4=Bons plans
- Choose 4=internet and e-mails
- Choose 3=Option Internet Max
- Now you get a description, choose 1=Suite a few times
- Then choose 1=Souscrire (Subscribe).
- Finally, choose 1=Valider (Confirm).
Officially the option may take 48 hours to come into effect, however in reality it can take 3 hours and maybe even less.
You will not be notified before it is activated; to check if it is, use #123# menu too: once the option is activated, 1st menu item is changed to 1=Suivi conso options which would provide you the information that Internet Max is on.
More good info can be found here: http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/France
I needed at least 9 euros in my account. I tried to buy more credit from the Orange.fr website. Unfortunately, it did not like my American credit card. So to be continued. I'll have to go to a physical store to get more credit. Slowly slowly.
The next day i decided to go to an Orange boutique that's two blocks from my apartment. They'll know how to set up my account. And that was the way to go. there was a bit of a wait, but I just happened to be there when an American was asking for the exact service I wanted (in English to boot). So when she was finished, I walked right up and said "meme chose svp". My credit card worked and in 2 days (?!), I'll have unlimited data service for a month. That's the way to go. And the guys are at the Orange boutique in the 14th on Rue General LeClerc and super helpful too.
That said, another difference between commuting in DC and commuting in Paris is that in DC everyone has their head buried in their smart phone or ipads reading the paper or playing angry birds. In Paris, surfing the net on your phone is too expensive for that, so instead people are reading books. The younger kids are accessorizing with their dr. dre beats head phones. At a couple hundred dollars a pop, apparently every young person in Paris is rich...
Things to know (Thomas are you listening?):
1) If you are in the 14th and need help getting your prepaid phone set up. Go to the Orange boutique on Ave de Gen LeClerc. Super helpful and at least 2 speak pretty good English.
2) You buy credits for your phone 5 euros worth, 10 euros worth, 25, 100 etc...
3) Credits expire and the amount you buy determines how long those credit lasts. 5 euros of credit expires in a week (I think). I just bought 25 euros of credit and those expire in 2 months.
4) When you make a call, send a text, use the internet, etc... money is deducted from your credits
5) For 9 euros a month you can subscribe to Internet max - unlimited data use
6) Your American credit card will not work on orange.fr
7) disable the email app that is part of the smartphone. I think the email application uses the credits. Instead use the safari or whichever web browser which should be part of the unlimited internet use of Internet Max.